Police release suspect’s photo after Melrose manhunt

Police have called off the manhunt in Melrose, but the search continues for two carjacking suspects.

By Lisa Guerriero & Jessica Sacco / melrose@wickedlocal.com

Police are circulating a photo of one of the suspects wanted in connection with a Revere carjacking that led to an intense manhunt in Melrose.

They are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect, which appears to be a surveillance photo from a retail store. The man has short, dark hair and wears a pink shirt and khaki shorts, which matches one of the descriptions previously given by witnesses.

Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to contact Revere Detective Kenneth Bruker at 781-656-1128 or kbruker@reverepolice.org. All tips are confidential, according to the police flier that accompanies the photo.

Police said the suspects got into a taxi on Friday near Tremont and Waltham streets in Boston, and were transported to Revere, where the alleged carjacking took place.

A 14-year-old Malden boy was in the stolen SUV, which the suspects drove to Melrose before abandoning it. (Click here to view a photo gallery from the manhunt.)

The flier says the suspects did not threaten or harm the teen, “but at no time did they let him out of the vehicle.”

The boy’s presence during the incident could potentially lead to an accusation of kidnapping, in addition to possible charges of carjacking, larceny of a vehicle and taxi fare evasion.

Although the manhunt in Melrose was over by Saturday, the search continues for the two suspects, who are described as white males.

Police Chief Michael Lyle said extra personnel were in place, and an investigation is underway. They are tracking down potential leads and looking at surveillance footage.

“Melrose and Revere are sharing information to obtain these two individuals, and we’ll take it from there,” Lyle said.

Law enforcement agencies from around the region responded Friday afternoon after an alleged carjacking in Revere led to a large-scale pursuit for the two suspects.

Police issued another update on the suspects’ description. One appears to be in his late 30s, with dark hair somewhat slicked back, wearing a short-sleeved or sleeveless pink shirt and khaki shorts. The other is in his 40s, wearing dark pants, with salt-and-pepper hair and a heavy shadow of stubble on his face. One of them may have worn a black ball cap.

Both men were seen earlier in the day carrying plastic shopping bags.

Police have not ruled out the possibility that the suspects live in Melrose, or have family or friends in the city.

Officials told residents it was safe for them to leave their homes Friday evening, after an intense manhunt that lasted about five hours.

Suspects apologized to carjacked teen

Revere Lt. Amy O’Hara said her department responded to the initial call at about 11:20 a.m. on Friday, knowing only that there was a dispute about a taxi fare. When they arrived at Northgate Shopping Center in Revere, they quickly learned there was more to the case.

A Malden woman had parked at the plaza and left her 14-year-old son in a black Nissan SUV while she and the boy’s younger sister went into Burlington Coat Factory.

The keys were in the vehicle, but it was not running, O’Hara said.

The two suspects had taken a taxi from Boston to the plaza, where the cab driver began to believe he might not receive payment. The cab driver parked in the lot, not far from the Malden family’s vehicle.

Police said they argued about the fare, and the suspects then jumped out of the cab and ran over to the SUV.

“For unknown reasons, they take off with this car,” Melrose Lt. Mark DeCroteau said of the suspects. “They go flying over to this area and they end up over here in Melrose.”

O’Hara said that while they were driving, the two men apologized to the Malden teen and explained that the situation was happening because of the taxi fare.

“He remained calm,” she said of the teen.

The Malden teen told Wicked Local news partner WCVB that he wasn’t scared, just “frozen in the moment.” The teen also told WCVB one of the suspects promised that his mother would get her vehicle back, and one said he didn’t “want to go back to jail.”

The boy told the suspects he had a cell phone and wanted to contact his mother, and the men didn’t stop him from making the call, O’Hara said.

Once in Melrose, the suspects encountered a roadblock as they were driving near the intersection of Green and Main streets. There was a police officer detailed to the roadwork site, and the suspects panicked, Chief Lyle said.

The men ditched the SUV near Green Street Pharmacy and fled on foot, police said. The teen then ran up to the detail officer and explained what happened.

An intense manhunt

Public safety officials flooded into Melrose as the manhunt got underway around 12:30 p.m., including state police and Revere, Wakefield and Saugus officers.

Police targeted the neighborhood around Green Street and Main Street, including the Fellsway, which the suspects were believed to have crossed as they headed in the direction of Linden Road.

A SWAT team from NEMLEC (North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council) set up outside of Robinson Funeral Home on Main Street, near the pharmacy.

Along with local police, the SWAT team spent hours canvassing streets and backyards in the area, also checking sheds and garages that were left open.

K9 units were deployed from Melrose as well as other agencies, and the State Police Airwing Section conducted an aerial search from a helicopter.

“It’s completely open and ongoing,” DeCroteau said of the investigation at that time.

The cost of the NEMLEC support is covered by Melrose’s dues to that agency — $4,000 per year — Chief Lyle said, including the SWAT team, command center and K9 units.

“All the resources are an asset to the community,” he said. “We all share resources when required.”

The helicopter was covered by the state police’s own budget, he noted.

Whole Foods donated water to the searchers, while Melrose police paid for their meals.

In addition to the neighborhood hunt, police followed up on numerous leads in the area as calls flooded in to report possible sightings.

Lyle said they received one particularly credible report around 4 p.m. at a multi-unit residence at 180 Green St. The tipster described the two men in a way that matched the updated account of the carjacking suspects’ appearance. When police arrived, however, they searched the entire building and couldn’t locate anyone who fit the description.

Officials asked Melrose residents to stay indoors during the search Friday afternoon, but in the evening said people could leave their homes.

“We deemed it safe for folks to go about their business for the evening,” said Lyle, adding that residents should remain vigilant and call 911 to report anything suspicious.

Melrose officials asked residents not to approach the suspects if they see the pair, as the men are considered dangerous, although police believe they are not armed.

Although some of the neighborhood canvassing wound down around 6 p.m. on Friday, many police remained, and Lyle said the search would continue that evening.

“At this time we’re pulling back and reevaluating,” he said at the time.